Scars
by Izzey24
Summary: A fic about my favorite FE:A boys and how they explore the scars they respectively have.


Inigo only had one scar. It wasn't noticeable to everyone, as it was carved into his back, instead of somewhere apparent, like an arm or even a leg. That was probably why it had always been so fascinating to me. He was "perfect" expect for that single blemish, which would be amazing for any man, but especially amazing for a soldier. I was always captivated by it from the very moment I saw it.

That first time I laid eyes on it had been a mistake. Pure chance that would shaking up my quasi-normal existence with the Shepards.

It happened on a night the army happen to camp near a river mouth which fed into a large, warm lake. The men and women had claimed areas of the fresh water as their own for bathing. Everyone was ready for a change from the usual bathing tent. I went early in the evening, laughing with the other guys and getting into the usual shenanigans that happen with group baths like this. I didn't even notice him missing- it was Morgan that pointed it out.

He popped up from the water after dodging a splash from Yarne. "Hey, where's Inigo?"

We all noticed then.

"He must be trying to sneak at peak at the woman." Laurnet eventually offered.

Henry shot up immediately at that, usual smile fallen from his face. All of us from the younger generation exchanged looks with one another, afraid suddenly for Inigo's. Henry was scary enough when he was all smiles, but when he got that look on his face… We could all only imagine what kind of crazy curse Inigo might soon face. I was suddenly very happy my father never bared such a look, despite his near constant exasperation with me.

"God help that poor kid if that's where he really is…" Vaike mumbled, as he waded past our little group.

I thought nothing more of the incident the rest of the night. I heard from Brady later that Inigo seemed unharmed and apparently hadn't actually been spying. It wasn't until later in the night, when I couldn't sleep because of the usual nightmares, that I would actually see Inigo for the first time. I got up sometime near midnight, rising simply to wander about, and somehow I found myself on the edge of the river bank just… thinking for a while.

Suddenly I heard a splash and my body tensed, sword arm twitching toward the blade resting next to me in the grass. When I glanced toward the noise however… I didn't see a gruesome Risen; instead I saw something beautiful.

Inigo stood in the lake with water up to his waist. His soft pink hair seemed to sparkle as drops of water fell from the edges, and his pale skin was glowing in the moonlight. He looked beautiful… But as he turned fully away from me I saw it.

From the base of his spine it ran diagonally up the right side of his back. It was deep- or it had been deep- as the color was still red with blemishes of purple running the length of the scar. It looked… horrible. If it was possible for a life time of hurt to be in one mark, Inigo had it within that scar right there.

But there was also something… beautiful about it.

I didn't know what was wrong with me- how could I think that?

Inigo turned around finally, and he spotted me for the first time since my arrival. I didn't know it was possible for him to become any paler- I expected his usual blush, but instead he looked mortified.

I didn't hold eye contact for long, instead I shot up and left the river. When I returned to my tent I didn't think about my nightmares anymore.

* * *

Apparently, it was from his father. Or had to do with his father. Rather, his father's death. He wouldn't actually tell me specifics.

Inigo had came to me a few days later while we were marching along the Ylissen coast. "Did you see it?" was all he said, and he asked quietly like it was a dirty secret we now shared between us.

"Yeah," I answered, not wanting to lie.

It got really quiet between us as we walked, but finally he told me that. That it had to do with his father in some way. Also he said that I couldn't tell anyone about it- not Chrom, not Robin, not Olivia, and especially, under no circumstance could I tell Henry. Then he left to march next to his parents, leaving me confused.

We had all lost our parents when we were young- so that meant that if the scar came from Inigo's father, or whatever, it had happened when he was quite young. Too young to get a scar like that.

Too young to get a scar like that and live to bare it….

I shuddered.

* * *

From the moment I saw that scar, despite not knowing anything about it, I was filled with an overwhelming sense to protect Inigo. Rather protect his back.

When we fought together in battle, I'd always favor being near him if possible. If I could I'd always favor his back though. Protecting him from behind and guarding him so that nothing else could strike him there. It was like my strange new life goal. I found myself slowly watching him more than mother or father and that freaked me out. I had to watch them; if they died, I died. Yet I just…

Inigo seemed to notice this too but he didn't say anything. Well at first he didn't…

Until finally: there was one fight when I blocked a sword swipe from hitting the back of his shoulder and by result I stepped backwards, into his back. It sent an exhilarating jolt through me for some reason, and I inhaled sharply through my nose, before retaliating and stabbing the Risen through his heart. As the enemy fell, I turned toward Inigo, but the look he gave me was not one of thanks or praise.

Later, after the fight was over, and we had all once again set up camp, Inigo caught me alone.

"What do you think you're doing, Owain?"

I flinched a little, and tried to think of something. "Uh, I'm just… Well a valiant hero must alwa-"

Before I could finish, Inigo cracked me right on the jaw. For looking so delicate, he certainly punched like a soldier.

"Stay away from me! Don't you know what dark magic could do to you!? Don't ever…" he screwed his face up, "Don't touch me again…" Inigo ran off before I could get a word in.

As I rubbed my chin, I stared off in the direction Inigo had gone. Now I had more questions than I did answers… Dark magic? What had… Just what kind of curse had been put on him…?

* * *

We didn't talk about it ever. No matter what, I never ask, and he never told. Everything between us continued like it had before I knew of his scar, or before the punching incident. But there was something more there too. Sometimes the way he'd look at me, ashamed and embarrassed like he'd get when someone saw him dancing, yet he did it when it was least expected nor did he have a reason for it.

He and I still talked, and joked. We fought side by side when Robin or Chrom asked us to. Everything seemed normal- but when it was just us by ourselves it didn't feel normal. I didn't feel comfortable acting like myself- acting loud and boisterous felt wrong. And Inigo seemed to get quieter when it was just he and I.

My nightmares were less about losing mother or father now, but new ones started- ones where I lost Inigo. Or where I was watching Henry do something horrible to him- and I didn't even know if that was true. I was fabricating things now- so much didn't make sense to me. He was having the same problems though- I just didn't realize it until later. Until we eventually both figured it out together; figured out why we were acting like this that is.

It took one us until practically hard fight we facedas we were traveling back from Vanlm to Ylisse. Things were tight all around, and Robin and Chrom were both wearing themselves thin to command the tropes in the right directions. Libra and my mother both hung toward the back, healing as fast and as much as they possibly could, but it was a close thing. Donnel had to pull back, Panne protecting him with her life so that he wouldn't die. That site alone was worrying everyone else to no end.

Inigo and I had opted to stay close together, while Laurent and Lucina were behind ourselves fighting off the seemingly endless waves of Risen. I had been careless early on, rushing in before any of us realized just how strong these Risen were. My stamina was faltering and Inigo didn't look much better. He let me lead, while he kept his bow at the ready right behind me.

We didn't even see the dark knight to our right before he was suddenly upon us.

"Inigo!" I shouted, pushing him away from the knight's sword slash. It sunk into my shoulder, and I instantly saw white. Stumbling, the other caught me in his arms, and we both fell to the ground before the knight. I could hear Lucina shouting for us, but it was too late- for me at the very least. The knight was already casting his spell, and I was in no shape to dodge it.

Then, something no short of a miracle happened.

Out of nowhere a flash of red and purple flew through the air between us and the Risen. The knight fell off his spooked horse, and was screaming in agony. Then he disappeared just as any defeated Risen would.

I stared in wonder at the spot. What had… there were no Sorcerers anywhere near… what was that!?

"-ian!? Owain!? Please, Owain!"

The sound reached my ears finally, and I looked up at Inigo leaning over me protectively, tears in his eyes. His face seemed flushed and he was sweating, there was also pain drawn tightly across his face for whatever reason. He hadn't been hit…

I stared for a moment at at him, because the way he was looking at me was somehow extremely beautiful. I reached my hand up touching his cheek gingerly. "Worried about me?" I smiled.

He breathed out slowly, trying to fight back a smile, and I knew right then. I was dense but I could see every emotion in those beautiful eyes of his. I quickly brushed my hand down his cheek before Laurent and Lucina road up to us. My sword hand buzzed the rest of the fight from the warmth of his face.

* * *

"It's a form of blood magic."

We sat together under a tree. It was dusk, and most of the camp was either eating or cleaning up befor they slept. Inigo and I lived for these moments because it meant we could finally be alone without anyone really noticing.

Our hands were next to each other in the grass, and I brushed my fingers over his. For once I stayed quiet, understanding that he needed to speak and that I just needed to listen, even though that was one of my _worst_ skills.

"Blood magic it's…. It's the worst thing a magic user can do. It's the most taboo kind of spell, even for sorcerers. No one goes near them, and anyone who does is nothing but pure evil supposedly. Tharja probably wouldn't even go to that level."

Inigo looked off toward the camp as he spoke, not worried necessarily. Just watching the small dots of the soldiers walking back and forth. "Before he left for the last time- my father must have somehow known- he took me aside and told me that he was sorry."

I let my fingers curl over his protectively, as he told me how Henry had then warned that what he was about to do would hurt, but it was to help Inigo. He told his son that whenever he was in danger, this spell would protect Inigo and keep him safe even if he and his mother could not any more.

"At the time I didn't understand what he was doing to me, or that it was truly a curse he was putting on his own son, but I was young and trusted him. To me he could do nothing wrong." He flipped his hand over and locked his fingers against mine, still not looking to me. "I don't fully understand or remember what he actually did to me, but when I woke up later he and mother we gone, and I had the scar. I never saw either of them again." I squeezed his hand.

"I… he wasn't wrong, and I don't hate him for it. I just… it scares me. I can't use magic like him. When the protection ward or curse or whatever it is comes out, I don't know how to control it. You saw what it did to that Risen… one shot and it…" Inigo paused, and then looked at me finally. He was crying silently. "I just don't want to accidentally hurt anyone I care about."

* * *

I didn't know what to think of now whenever I saw Henry. I was fiercely protective of Inigo, and the fact that this burden had been with him since he was a little boy made me want to give my sword arm a good work out on him. But… I also saw it from the other side. Henry had managed to find a way to protect his son even when he was dead, and even though it meant he himself would commit the ultimate sin.

Inigo very well might be dead if that scar hadn't been there to protect him.

I was very conflicted…

* * *

A few weeks later, the Shepards were officially home, resting within the walls of Chrom and Robin's castle. Pretty much everyone had found vacant rooms to share with their spouse or their parents or their siblings. It was so nice to be some place comfortable, and quiet, and peaceful…

To be honest though, we were anything but quiet and peaceful.

Inigo and I had snuck into a room together before anyone noticed. We locked the door behind us and quickly got to work grabbing and kissing at one another like we'd never get another chance. We were nervous, sure, but also we tried to move with confidence as we shed our armors and every bit of inhibition we wore outside this privacy.

It wasn't until we were both left in our small clothes and sitting together on the bed that we took a moment to slow down a little. Both of us were flushed all the way to our chests, and our eyes were heavy. Inigo fiddled with his hair, while my hand stroked across one of his legs. He looked at me and his eyes gave me all the welcoming I needed. Slowly, I slid my hands all along his torso, up his chest, one grazing his strong neck. He breathed softly, and I could feel it rushing over me.

My hands moved further down, around, over. The noises he made were adorable… I brought my lips against that beautiful neck, and he moaned gently. I shuddered.

Carefully, I slipped one hand around, skimming the edge of his back. As expected, he gasped and tensed up. I pulled back, moved to tap our foreheads together, and bit my lip. "It's… can I…?"

There was a pause, wherein Inigo closed his eyes. I felt him shiver in the passing few beats of silence. As the seconds passed, I thought I could hear his heart pounding but I think it was actually the thrumming of mine ringing within my ears.

"I- okay…"

I released the breath that I didn't know I was holding. Murmuring my thanks against his throat I slowly moved my fingers against the damaged skin. It made the other man whisper and squirm in my arms and that made my own body jump with excitement.

He kissed and nibbled along my shoulder, his shaking hands dragging down my chest in lazy patterns. His stubby nails tried to scratch and knead my skin like a happy kitten. Curling into me, he exposed more of that sensitive secret to my eyes.

He was showing me so much trust.

When his hand danced over my confining small clothes. I brought us together for a kiss once more. Soon I had him flipped on his stomach, both of us now drawn completely bare before one another. Inigo gripped tightly to the pillow which his face was buried into, muffling his moans as I brought my lips down his spine. Holding firm to his hips, I kissed across his scars slowly, touching the mark that was both a curse and protection. I gave it as much love as the other beautiful parts of his body that night. I even whispered words of love to Inigo while my lips skill brushed his brand.

He always cried back to me just lovingly.

* * *

During our final battle, the one where Robin so valiantly gave her life to protect the whole world, Inigo got one more scar.

And this time it was my fault.

I was careless, and I never saw the assassin coming at me. Inigo pushed me away from his knife strike, but stumbled and slash caught him on the face. The enemy's blade drew hard over his eye.

It was deep. Brady could barely save his sight, and for sure could not erase the mark it left. Inigo's right eye was now a paler violet than his left, and from the top of his forehead to his cheek bone was another dark line.

However, Inigo wasn't ashamed of this scar. He wore it like a badge of honor, because he saved my life to get it. Even years later, he would make fun of me, saying I cried so much because of it, while he himself never shed a tear- not that he was necessarily wrong… We traveled together for years, him a performer and I a sell sword/adventurer, and he never once blamed me for the scar. I feared that it would affect his performances, but he said that people often told him it made him fit the tragic roles that he danced better.

He'd always smile when he told me that, and I would sigh, and kiss his forehead, right where his scar was carved. Over the years, I guess it grew on me too and I started to selfishly love to too. Maybe I was an awful person, but that scar at least proved that Inigo loved me regardless.


End file.
